Whisky Flashcards
Grains
Grains adds different qualities to the spirit taste:
Rye: spiciness, pepper, dark flavours
Barley: gives roundness
Corn: sweetness, creaminess, popcorny flavours
Laphroaig 10 yrs
Bourbon barrelled
Nose: big, smoky peated notes, spices, liquorice and big dose of smoke
Taste: salty, seaweed with big hearthy oak notes. Spices (peppers + chili)
Finish: big and dry
(ISLAY)
Scotch
Must be made from barley, aged in oak for a minimum of 3 years and must be made in Scotland.
Often only ingredients are: yeast, water and barley.
The variations in flavours come from the process whilst making the product at various stages, environment from which the product are gathered, cultivated and produced.
Ex: lots of flavours and colours from the barrel
Regions: Islay, highland, lowland, island, speyside
Islay
Synonym of heavy peated Whisky.
During malting of the barley, the grain is dried and heated by burning dried peat, allowing for the smile to impact it’s flavours.
The longer the barley is exposed to the smoke; he heavier the characteristics of smoke are present in the final product.
The lands of Islay are exposed to sea spray and salt winds witch soak into the peat.
Laphroaig 15 yrs
Additional time in the barrel has made it smoother and more elegant.
Nose: honey and citrus, vanilla and ginger with only a trace of peat
Taste: citrus and peat smoke carries through but the ginger turns to a peppery bite with a tail of Tabasco
Finish: light but spicy
(ISLAY)
Highland
Largest region but relatively few distilleries.
The wide area means there is a large variety of wisky that come from this regions however they tend to be lighter, fruitier and sweeter than other regions.
Good place for a beginner to start.
Glenmorangie 10
Nose: rich, nectarine, lemon, apple
Taste: vanilla, toffee, honey
Finish: long, clean, fruity
(HIGLAND)
Glenmorangie 18 yrs
30% of it 15 yrs is out in sherry cask and aged for 3 yrs before being blended back in with 18 yrs white oak blend.
Nose: rich, floral fragrance and notes of dried fruits
Taste: figs, dates and honey. Floral undertones
Finish: long, sweet dried fruits and nutty characters
(HIGHLAND)
Island
Not an official region as they are part of the larger highland region; however they are slightly peatier than mainland distillery.
Talisker 10
Nose: powerful peat smoke, sera Water saltiness, Apple, citrus
taste: peppery peat smoke, rich dried fruits sweetness
Finish: very long, peppery and sweetness
Jura superstition
Nose: cinnamon, honey, spice
Taste: delicate peat, honey and spice
Finish: long lasting balance finish
Speyside
Is a subdivision of highland but because it contains over half of all the distilleries in Scotland; it is considered it’s own region.
There is 2 distinct flavour profile:
- heavy rich sherry flavour malt
- soft, complex, floral flavoured malt
Balvenie 15 yrs
Single barrel sherry
Nose: sweetness of oak with honey, dried fruits and citrus peel
Taste: juicy ripe fruit
Finish: spicy, long and sherried
Macallan Ruby
Nose: sweetness, cake, espresso, cocoa
Taste: raspberry coulis, prune, marmalade, orange and oak
Finish: long, rich and dark berries
Irish
Must be made within the countrie of Ireland, made from yeast fermented grain mash and aged for a minimum of 3 years in wooden cask.
Irish whiskey can use any mixture of cereal grain but if more than 2 are mixed; it must labelled as a blended Whisky.
Irish Whisky is often distilled 3 times as oppose to the Scottish twice